8 Effective Face Yoga Exercises to Reduce Marionette Lines Naturally

What are Marionette Lines?

Marionette lines, or vertical wrinkles, form between the mouth and chin beside your lips. You can also call them smiling or laughing lines. 

Let's help you get rid of these depressing lines with the help of the best facial exercises for lines around the mouth.

Marionette Lines vs Nasolabial Folds

Ever wondered what sets marionette lines apart from nasolabial folds? Both of them are facial wrinkles that appear with age, but marionette lines run from the corners of your mouth to your chin, while nasolabial folds extend from the sides of your nose to the corners of your mouth.

“Wrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been.” - Mark Twain.

Nasolabial folds deepen with laughter, while the appearance of marionette lines is mainly caused by natural ageing, resulting in loss of skin elasticity and collagen, which can create a puppet-like appearance.

Marionette lines become more prominent with ageing and due to gravity, while nasolabial folds are more noticeable over time in people with expressive facial movements.

What Causes Marionette Lines?

Marionette lines or melomental folds are often seen in people as they age. However, some might be more prone to these creases or might have more visible, deeper lines, and can contribute to a downturned mouth, giving them a sad or exhausted look.

The factors that contribute to the development of  marionette lines are:

• Natural Ageing Process:
  As you age, your skin produces less collagen, which leads to a loss of elasticity and firmness.
  
   
• Effect of Gravity:
  The effects of gravity on your skin become visible over time. The downward pull on your skin leads to sagging, especially around your lower face.
  
   
• Repetitive Facial Expressions:
  Continuously pursing your lips, frowning, or other expressions you make out of habit can gradually lead to marionette lines.
  
   
• Genetics:
  Some people may develop marionette lines earlier because of genetic factors. If your parents or grandparents have marionette lines, you are likely to have them, too, over time.
  
   
• Lifestyle Factors:
  Factors like smoking, exposure to sun rays, a poor diet which lacks essential nutrients, and dehydration can cause damage to your skin and accelerate skin ageing, making it sag faster and form wrinkles, including marionette lines.
  
   
• Stress and Poor Sleep:
  Too much stress and inadequate sleep can also accelerate ageing and cause skin sagging.

Does Sleeping Position Affect Marionette Lines?

Yes, your sleeping position may create marionette lines over time. Positions that create more constant pressure and friction, such as sleeping on your side or on the stomach, cause repeated creasing of the skin. 

Eventually, constant pressure can weaken skin elasticity and cause these wrinkles to be more prominent. 

How do you stop this? Sleeping on your back does not create pressure on the face. Sleeping in this position can avoid the early appearance of marionette lines.

Face Yoga for Marionette Lines: 8 Powerful Exercises

Relax and calmly learn how to perform each step of these unique face yoga exercises with us. 

O-Shape-Exercise

‘O’ shape exercise will tighten the muscles around your lips. Moreover, it acts as an excellent exercise for lip wrinkles too.

How to Perform?

• Make an O shape with your mouth.
• With your index fingers, tap both sides of your mouth.
• Move the fingers from your lips to your cheeks (in the upward direction.) 
• Practise the same movement for five minutes.

Smile Lifter

A smile lifter will naturally lift the corners of your mouth and tone the cheek muscles. It is one of the core face yoga exercises for marionette lines.

What Should You Do?

• Move your jaw forward.
• Curl your lips over your teeth.
• Smile and keep the corners of your lips at the same level.
• Lift your chin and try to touch your tongue to the roof of your mouth.
• Hold the position for 10 seconds.
• Repeat the same a few times.

Cheek Lifter

The face yoga technique of the cheek lifter will help pull up muscles responsible for the depressing marionette lines. Toning these muscles helps you erase your marionette lines.

How Can You Perform?

• Cover your cheeks with your palms.
• With all four fingers, push on the side of your lips.
• Curl your lips inwards over your teeth.
• Lift your cheeks as you smile.
• Inhale and keep in position for 5-10 seconds.
• Repeat this five times.

Pencil Technique

The said face yoga technique engages the muscles around your lips, chin, and neck, helping them become more toned and flexible. If you have smoker lines, you should practise this technique of face yoga for smoker lines.

How to Perform?

• Purse your lips to hold the pencil between.
• Now, try to move your jaw forward and backwards.
• Tilt your face upwards to the left.
• Hold for 5 seconds.
• Now, turn to the right and hold for 5 seconds.
• Repeat three times.

Puffy Cheeks

The puffy cheeks facial yoga exercise lifts and fends your cheeks by stimulating circulation. Further, you're in for a bonus. It will definitely help with all the pesky wrinkles around your mouth.

What Should You Do?

• Fill your mouth with air and puff your cheeks.
• Place one of your palms on your lips.
• Tap your puffed cheeks gently with the fingertips of your other hand.
• Carry the process out for both your cheeks for 30 seconds each.

Tongue Stretch

Tongue stretch is a tension stretch you feel around your mouth when the muscles work well. So, the tension around the mouth gets reduced. It works as a great facial exercise for jowls and facial lines.

What Should You Do?

• Extend your tongue outside like a lion as far as possible. In other words, you should touch your chin with your tongue.
• Hold in the position for 10 seconds.
• You can feel the stretch around your mouth.
• Repeat this for at least five times.

Jawline Definer

Along with working on marionette lines, jawline definer helps you define your jawline.

What are the Steps to Perform?

• Tilt your head backwards and lift your chin.
• Close your mouth and move your jaw forward.
• Hold for 5 seconds.
• Come back to the starting position.
• Repeat this movement ten times.

The 'L' Shape and Lift

Practising the' L' shape and lift face yoga exercises encourages your lips to go upwards instead of downwards. Thus, it makes them one of the best facial exercises for marionette lines. After all, strengthening the muscles between your lips and chin can also help tone your lower jaw. 

How Can You Perform Them?

• Make an L shape with your thumb and fingers of both hands at a 90-degree angle to each other on your face. How? The answer is by placing the fingers on each of your cheeks and the thumbs on your chin, touching each other.
• Pull the cheeks a little backwards without much pressure.
• Press your lips against each other as you do the above step.
• Hold this for 15 seconds.
• Relax and repeat at least five times.

You can strengthen all the muscles causing marionette lines by doing all the above exercises. Doing so can beautify your smile naturally. 

Preparation Before the Exercises

Sit in a comfortable place and relax. It's best if you keep the environment around you calm.

• Take a few deep breaths and release tension.
• Massage gently using your two fingers on your chin, cheeks and temples for 5 seconds each.
• Relax and retake a few deep breaths.

Daily Face Yoga Routine to Smooth Marionette Lines

Let us give you an idea about how to practise these face yoga exercises daily. Here you go!

Morning Smile with Morning Sunshine

• Cleanse with a hydrating cleanser.
• Wake your muscles up with an easy face yoga routine.
• What could this easy-peasy routine be? Add cheek puffs, smile lifter and cheek lift.
• Apply a natural toner that can balance your skin's pH.
• Apply a natural face serum rich in antioxidants.
• In the end, apply a good sunscreen with an SPF of 50.

P.S. Always use skincare products that suit your skin type. If you're trying on a new one, ensure you do a patch test on your inner elbow.

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Mid-Day Smile Lifter

• Hydrate your skin once in a while between your daily chores.
• Use a good facial mist that contains rose water or chamomile for a refreshing twist.
• Do some 'O' shape facial yoga exercises.

Evening Routine 

• Cleanse and remove your makeup. Detoxify your skin of the impurities of the day.
• Practise face yoga for marionette lines, wrinkles, sagging skin, and other skin care concerns. Doing so will also help you release muscle tension.
• Apply a natural toner to relax your skin and replenish it.

Before Bed Relaxation

• Do face massage with a natural face oil or serum before sleeping. Doing so will help you enhance blood circulation and lymphatic drainage.
• It is essential to relax your body into sleep. You can perform gentle breathwork exercises before you hit the sheets.
• Further, hydrate yourself with a glass of water.
• Lastly, sleep on your back to minimise face wrinkles and creases caused by pillow pressure.

The Key Takeaways

The face yoga exercises for marionette lines listed above can help strengthen the facial muscles. Yes, where marionette lines often appear, thereby reducing the appearance of such lines and helping to lift your smile naturally. It will be best if you are consistent with this routine. Why? So that your facial muscles work efficiently to make your skin firm. 

These face yoga exercises for lines around the mouth are simple, non-invasive and worth every effort to practise.